The Terrible Tricksters
by ElvenPrincessOfNarnia -Kate
Summary: Legolas and his little sister Laurelian come to stay in Imladris while Thranduil is away in Lothlorien. The twins, Elladan and Elrohir, don't want anything to do with the Greenwood elves. The Mischief Makers of Imladris will play as many tricks as necessary on the Greenwood elves to make them leave. But what will happen if Legolas strikes back? Sequel to Mischief Makers.
1. Arrival of the Greenwood Elves

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing.**

**I am not an expert on Elvish translation, so please correct me if I use or translate a word incorrectly.**

**Elladan and Elrohir are the human equivalent of nine, Nadalle is the equivalent of an 8 1/2 year old, Arwen is the equivalent of six, Laurelian is the equivalent of a 5 3/4 year old, and Legolas is the equivalent of nine.**

* * *

><p>Elrond stared at the letter in his hand. He read it over for the fiftieth time. Surely he was reading <em>something<em> wrong. Elrond groaned and threw his head onto his desk.

"I've never seen that one before." a voice said.

Elrond looked up to see the still pink-haired Erestor standing in front of his desk. He held the letter out to him.

"Here, you read it and see if you have the same reaction after you finish."

Shrugging, Erestor complied.

_Lord Elrond,_ the letter began,

_I apologize for the appalling lack of communication between us over the last three hundred years or so. I have been occupied with some mini-catastrophes the Greenwood has experienced lately__, including an exploding cake, a fire, and a wild-goose chase across Middle-Earth. How is life for you in Imladris? Knowing you, mellon-nin, it is probably calm and peaceful, nothing like my life lately._

"If only he knew." mused Elrond.

_Anyway, I would like to claim a favor you owe me for saving your life. I am needed urgently in Lothlorien indefinitely. Unfortunately, my son Legolas and daughter Laurelian cannot accompany me. Is there any chance you could keep watch over them while I am in the Golden Wood? _

Erestor lowered the letter. "So far, _hir-nin,_ this sounds harmless. Why the frustration?"

"Keep reading."

_Just as a side note, Laurelian is relatively easy to care for, as she is very much like her reserved, sophisticated mother. Legolas, on the other hand, will most likely give me gray hairs soon. He is very much like me (and you, incidentally, mellon-nin). Elrond, do you recall the time when you, me, Erestor, and Glorfindel dyed some of my ada's hair gray as a joke? Reminisces aside, I am sure you will agree to having Legolas and Laurelian stay with you for a while. My errand will probably not exceed three months. I am sure your sons are very well-behaved and will be a good influence on my wayward son._

_Sincerely,_

_Thranduil_

_P.S. _

_Good luck._

Erestor finished reading. His face paled. He turned to Elrond. _"Hir-nin_, you are not considering this, are you?"

"Well, I haven't talked it over with Celebrian yet, but I _do_ owe Thranduil that favor."

"But," Erestor sputtered, "We have _three_ tricksters in our midst already. We do _not_ need one more. If this Legolas is _anything_ like his father, this will be a disaster."

"Technically speaking, we have five. That is, if you include us. Thranduil did." Elrond replied, smirking slightly. "Ai Valar, as much as I do not want to do this, I suppose I will have to. At least the _elleth_ Laurelian is not supposed to be a troublemaker."

"_Hir-nin,_ in my mind, ALL elflings are easily imprinted upon. With your two sons, Thranduil's son, Glorfindel, and quite possibly Arwen, I don't think she has a chance of escaping corruption." Erestor retorted. He ran his hand through his shock of pink hair. After a moment of reflection he added, "I think Elladan and Elrohir are already corrupting Vennelin's daughter Nadalle as well."

Erestor thought for a moment. Suddenly, he turned to Elrond. "Why does Thranduil not send his children to the Gray Havens? I'm sure Lord Cirdan would put them to work quickly. That way, they'd stay out of mischief." he suggested.

"The sea longing."

"Why can't he take them to Lothlorien with him?"

"Haldir, Rumil, and Orophin. Too many troublemakers there."

"And there aren't too many here?" Erestor asked sarcastically. "You yourself admitted that there are five tricksters in our midst."

"And you said there might be more." Elrond shot back. He sighed. "Ai Valar. Why me?"

After several minutes of silence, Erestor spoke again.

"By the way, who do you think was responsible for ruining Lindir's party? Whoever it was, I'd like to thank them. Somehow, the honey, feathers, and hay removed the revolting pieces of some unknown substance off of me."

"Guess."

Before Erestor could guess, someone knocked on Elrond's study door.

"Enter." Elrond commanded.

A young, brown-haired elf stepped inside and shut the door. His hands were behind his back as if he was holding something. The elf stared uncertainly at Elrond and Erestor, fidgeting as he did so.

"Ah, Yilrend. Do you have something for me?" Elrond asked, holding his hand out for a letter. Yilrend was the son of one of the messengers and newly apprenticed to one of Elrond's secretaries. Sometimes, he had trouble remembering how to carry out his orders.

"No my lord. A messenger brought a message not fifteen minutes ago." The youth paused, unsure of what to do next.

"Well," Erestor broke in impatiently, "What is the message?"

Elrond placed a restraining hand on his friend and councillor's shoulder. Seeing the move, Yilrend continued speaking.

"King Thranduil has entered the Valley of Imladris."

The two older elves stared at Yilrend.

"He is accompanied by a small amount of soldiers and two elflings."

Erestor looked accusingly at Elrond. "You said you didn't agree to this!"

"I never said that." Elrond replied defensively. "I said I hadn't talked it over with Celebrian. All the same, I didn't agree to this."

Yilrend glanced at the two arguing elves, and quietly excused himself. As he opened the door, two black-haired elflings knocked him over as they bolted into the room. From the floor, Elladan and Elrohir looked up guiltily, and helped Yilrend to his feet. After he found his footing and breath again, Yilrend left the room and shut the door behind him.

"_Ada?_" Elladan said as Yilrend disappeared. "_Naneth_ told me to tell you that King Thranduil is in the courtyard."

"Thank you, Elladan." Elrond sighed. He could feel a headache coming on already.

Suddenly, someone jerked the door open. A tall, blue-haired elf strode into the room. He was wearing a crown that seemed to be made of twisted stems and leaves, a silver robe, and black riding boots. His gray eyes twinkled mischievously when he saw Elrond's eyes widen and Erestor's face pale.

"Give me a chance next time, _mellon-nin._" grumbled Elrond, crossing his arms. "I only received your letter two days ago."

The blue-haired elf chuckled. "That should have been plenty of time."

"Well it wasn't." Erestor growled. Just then, Glorfindel threw open the door. His eyes were widened in fear, his face was pale, and he was breathing hard as if he had been running.

"Lord Elrond, King Thranduil is here. I suggest you hide." Glorfindel panted, leaning on the wall for support. "If you need me, _I _will be hiding in the gardens." Suddenly, he spotted the elf. Glorfindel screamed and ran out of the room.

Elrohir watched his retreat, fully amused. "_Ada_, he screamed the same way Arwen screamed when 'Dan and I dumped a jar of worms on her head." Too late, Elladan elbowed his brother, trying to silence him.

The blue-haired elf shook his long hair sadly at Elrond. "Elrond, I thought your elflings would be better behaved than mine."

"What did you expect, Thranduil?" Elrond smiled. "You know how I am, and how Elros was. It's in their nature."

"By they way," Erestor interjected, "What happened to that beautiful, golden hair you were so proud of?"

Thranduil grimaced. Instead of answering, he strode out of the study and down the hall. After several minutes, he returned with a small, young _elleth_ with bright pink hair and an _ellon _with blond hair that looked a little older than the twins.

"Guess." Thranduil commanded, a twinkle in his eyes.

Erestor pouted like an elfling. "Why is everyone telling me to guess today? I don't know!"

"I thought you were the intelligent one of us!" Thranduil laughed.

"He hasn't been the same since we dyed his hair." Elrohir stated matter-of-factly.

Thranduil looked from Elrohir to Elladan to Elrond to Erestor to Laurelian. He burst out laughing. All the other elves stared at the Elvenking, who was now rolling on the floor from laughter. Finally, his laughter began to subside. Wiping tears from his eyes, Thranduil remarked,

"Well, Elrond. It looks like you have your work cut out for you."

"I still haven't said yes." Elrond retorted.

* * *

><p>Translation of Elvish words:<p>

_Mellon-nin_- my friend

_Hir-nin_- my lord

_Elleth-_ female elf

_Ada_- father or daddy

_Naneth-_ mother or mommy

_Ellon_- male elf

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**So, what did you think? Review and rate, please!**

**A shoutout to attheturnofthetide for voting for the name "The Terrible Tricksters" instead of "The Terrible Troublemakers." Thank you for your input. **

**~Kate**


	2. The Plot

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Although, I could probably claim Vennelin, Nadalle, Laurelian, and a few others, but oh well...**

**All Elvish translations are estimations. I am in no way an expert on Elvish; Sindarin or Quenya. Please bear with me if I make any mistakes in translation!**

**In this, the elves have a kind of communal ****bathing system of facilities for the servants. The higher-ranking elves have more private bathing arrangements. **

_**NOT SLASH. Never, ever, ever slash.**_

* * *

><p>A week later, Lord Elrond found himself waving "<em>N<em>_amarie_" to King Thranduil and his varicolored-haired warriors. Apparently, the young prince Legolas had not only wreaked havoc on his family, but also on Valar-knows-how-much of Thranduil's kingdom. Elrond sighed and rubbed his temples. He could tell that this would be a _very, very_ long few months.

Laurelian stood next to Legolas, clinging desperately to his hand. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. When Thranduil passed out of her sight, she began sobbing. Legolas held her close to him, whispering words of encouragement.

Elladan and Elrohir stared disdainfully at Legolas and his sister. They thought themselves above the Greenwood elves. Ever since they arrived, Legolas had completely ignored them. The twins were completely bored with the elfling now. They wanted him _out_ of Imladris, and _out_ of their lives.

Elrohir had an idea. He leaned over and whispered, "Meet you at the secret hideout after dinner."

Elladan nodded and grinned wickedly. "See you there, brother."

At dinner, Elrond tried to ease the open hostility that seemed to have grown between his sons and Legolas. The twins sat directly opposite Legolas and made horrible faces at him. In return, Legolas glared in what he hoped was a menacing way. On the other hand, Laurelian and Arwen had become fast friends. They were sitting next to each other at dinner and giggling about something between the two of them. Elrond smiled thinly.

_"At least _something _is going well right_ now." he thought._ "Ai Valar. Why me, mellon-nin, why me?"_

After a very quick dinner, the twins excused themselves, raced out of the Hall of Fire, and situated themselves in their secret inside hiding spot. They didn't dare to go outside to their other spot, because they thought Legolas might find them. The twins had caught Legolas snooping around the halls of the palace earlier that week, and wanted to keep their secrets safe.

"How are we going to get rid of _him_, 'Dan?" Elrohir asked once they were settled.

"I have just the plan." Elladan smirked.

Elrohir rolled his eyes. Recently, it seemed that their personalities had switched. Elladan had become more mischievous, and Elrohir had become more cautious.

"Well, don't leave me in suspense." Elrohir growled, after several moments of silence.

Elladan's eyes twinkled wickedly. "You know how Legolas dyed the hair of quite a few elves?"

Elrohir nodded.

"We should do something like that!" Elladan continued. "_And then blame it on _Legolas!"

Elrohir nodded, a grin spreading across his face. The grin faded when he realized something.

"How are we going to do _that_?" he asked.

"You'll see, brother, you'll see." Elladan replied loftily.

Elrohir sighed. Sometimes Elladan could be such a pain.

"Fine." he grumbled. "I'll wait and see."

The next day, Arwen and Laurelian played together in the gardens. Almost everyone in Imladris could hear the laughter of the _elleths_ as they amused themselves with a game of tag. After they became tired, they sat down on a blanket beneath a weeping willow. They played with their dolls for a while. When they became bored, they contented themselves with talking to each other.

"What happened to your hair, Laur?" Arwen asked, touching the pink strands.

"My brother, 'Las, did it to me and _Ada_ and _Naneth_ and a lot of other people." Laurelian grumbled, pouting a little. "I _hate_ the color pink, and he knew it! Why couldn't he make it black like yours?"

" 'Dan and 'Ro can be like that too. Once, they dyed 'Restor's hair pink. It's still like that. Your hair matches!" Arwen squealed encouragingly.

Laurelian stuck out her tongue, and then dissolved into giggles. Before long, they were both laughing madly. After several minutes, they finally managed to stop. Holding their sides, they flopped down together on the blanket.

" 'Las used a very special kind of dye in my hair." Laurelian said suddenly.

Arwen sat bolt upright on the blanket. "What kind of dye?" she asked innocently.

"He told me how to make it." Laurelian confessed. She leaned over to whisper confidentially in Arwen's ear. "You have to use pure honey, lots of salt, powdered ink, and natural colors. You can use cherry juice for the pink or red color, blueberry juice for blue, dark red wine for purple, orange juice for orange, lemon for yellow, lime and crushed watermelon rind for green, soaked and crushed black beans for brown, and quill pen ink for black."

"Wow. That's a lot. How can you remember all that?"

"I just do. Oh wait, I forgot something!" Laurelian cried. She whispered again, "You have to mix all the ingredients together and mix it with soap. Then, you can put the soap wherever someone will find and use it and, presto! Instant hair dye."

"That's amazing." Arwen giggled. "Do you want to go explore the gardens?"

"Yes!" Laurelian squealed excitedly. The two _elleths _ran off, leaving their blanket and toys behind.

As soon as they left, the twins swung down from the branches of the willow, where they had been eavesdropping on Arwen and Laurelian. Elladan grinned wickedly, displaying the notepad of hair dye instructions. Without exchanging a word, the twins set off to put their plan in action. Elrohir made a mental note to thank and reward Arwen for her cooperation. Sometimes, she came in handy.

At sunset, the twins finally completed their preparations for the colors. It was not easy finding and sneaking away all the ingredients. They could only wait until the next week, when they would have their chores again. Their father had given them several weeks off from their punishments to get to know and befriend Legolas. When their punishments resumed, they would both have to clean the entire palace from top to bottom to prepare for a grand feast. They would be cleaning the bathrooms as well...

All that week, Elladan and Elrohir actually made a forced effort to befriend the slightly Greenwood elf. Each time they would try to talk to him, however, they would be greeted with cold stares and silence. This only infuriated the twins more and made them determined to carry out their plan.

When their punishments began again, the twins immediately and secretly loaded the bottles of dye mix onto the carts of cleaning supplies. They quickly finished their regular cleaning routine and painstakingly mixed the dye with the soaps located in the bathing facilities. After finishing that, they moved onto the private bathing rooms of the other elves.

Finally, everything was completed. The twins congratulated each other and went to bathe before the banquet that night. Everyone in the palace would be there to cerebrate the Feast of Starlight. Therefore, everyone in the palace would need to bathe before attending...

**TT TT TT TT TT**

"But '_Dan_!" Elrohir shrieked when they returned to their bedroom. "I will _not _do that! Not for tonight. Not _ever!_"

"We have to make it look convincing that _Legolas_ did it." Elladan retorted. "I even made a point of framing him perfectly by having the servants give him something to take to the bathrooms. Everyone here knows what he did in the Greenwood. It's even his own dye recipe. Tonight, he will be the only one with undyed hair."

"Fine."

Several servants came in and helped the twins bathe in separate places. After their baths, the twins were dressed in matching outfits of blue and silver. When they looked in a nearby mirror, the twins couldn't see a change in their hair color.

Elladan sighed. "So we did all that for nothing!"

Suddenly, their hair began to change color. Elladan's hair turned a neon orange color, while Elrohir's turned lime green. Elrohir began to cry.

"I _HATE _the color green!" he screamed.

All over the palace, the twins began to hear ear-shattering screams from angry and horrified elves. Despite the initial shock of seeing their normally dark hair dyed in bright colors, the twins snickered and congratulated each other.

"That. Was. _Amazing!_" Elrohir conceded. "Even though my hair is _green_."

Always the practical one, Elladan replied, "Our hair doesn't match our outfits anymore."

Once they stepped into the hall, several servants choked when they saw the neon colors against the more somber and serious colors of the twins' tunics.

At the dinner table, Arwen refused to talk to the twins or acknowledge their presence. Her hair was dyed a bright crimson, which matched the color of her dress. When Elrond and Celebrian arrived slightly late in the hall, the twins had to stifle a fit of giggles at the sight. Elrond's hair looked exactly like Elladan's, while Celebrian's was a disgusting brown color. Finally, everyone was seated at the table. Elrond stiffly gave permission for everyone to begin eating.

Glorfindel stared at the pristine blond elfling sitting next to him. He had a sudden urge to strangle him.

Legolas stared innocently back at Glorfindel, trying not to laugh at Glorfindel, with his death glares and lavender hair.

Erestor merely enjoyed his dinner while the rest of the elves plotted revenge against Legolas.

"_Finally."_ Erestor thought. "_I'm not alone._" He smirked inwardly.

After dinner, Lord Elrond summoned Legolas to his study.

"Legolas." he began. "Why did you do _this_?" he asked, pointing at his hair.

Legolas sputtered, taken completely off guard. "I didn't." he finally managed, looking meekly up at the enraged Lord of Imladris. Legolas resisted the temptation to compare him to an angry Balrog. Or his _Ada._

"Come now, Legolas. You are the only one in my house without dyed hair. You also have a previous history of doing things like this." Elrond prodded, trying to get a confession out of the elfling.

"But I _didn't_!" Legolas burst out. "You have to believe me."

"You are dismissed." Lord Elrond waved him out of the study. "I will decide your punishment tomorrow. If there is another infraction," Elrond glared at Legolas, "I will be forced to contact your _Ada, _and he will decide a harsher punishment."

Legolas staggered out of the study, tears prickling his eyes. He angrily wiped them away. He knew who the real pranksters were, but he also knew that they wouldn't be punished. Legolas ground his teeth.

"Elladan. Elrohir." he muttered under his breath. "You will pay for this!"

* * *

><p>Translation of Elvish Words:<p>

_Namarie:_ Farewell, goodbye

_Mellon-nin_: My friend

_Ada_: Father

_Naneth:_ Mother

_Elleth:_ female elf

Note: Correct me if I am wrong. I believe _Ai Valar_ is very similar to the English "Oh lord", or something like that. In this story (previous and future as well) it is used by the characters to display frustration. *cough* Elrond *cough*.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed the story! Sorry it took so long to update. **

**I will begin posting my future story ideas on my profile, if you are ever curious about what is happening in my head. The sequel to this story will probably be "The Annoying Adolescents", featuring the twins, Legolas, and the infamous Lorien brothers: Haldir, Orophin, and Rumil. There might be a little romance thrown in too... (NO SLASH!)**

**~Kate**


	3. Failure

**Disclaimer: I think you all know by now that I own almost nothing...**

* * *

><p>An owl hooted outside Legolas' window. The Greenwood elf woke up and sat bolt upright in his bed. Quietly, Legolas dressed in a dark green tunic, grabbed his supplies, and climbed out the window onto a conveniently located tree branch. Climbing down, Legolas nimbly jumped onto the ground and tiptoed through the garden to the other side of the house. Once he arrived at his destination, he levered open a nearby window and reentered the house.<p>

Legolas chuckled evilly as he crept through the dimly lit halls of the palace. Each time he passed a door, he paused momentarily to check if the occupant was asleep. He couldn't afford getting caught now. That was why he had climbed out the window to the garden instead of walking a long way through the unfamiliar halls.

After sneaking around for a while, Legolas finally reached the twins' bedroom, despite getting lost several times and having almost been caught by a night guard. With a sense of triumph, Legolas carefully opened the door and slid inside the room.

Inside, he blinked several times, trying to readjust his eyes to the darkness. Once he could see better, he looked over to the twins' beds. From his position at the door, Legolas saw an elfling-sized lump topped with dark hair in each bed. The sheets rose and fell steadily over the lumps, proving that there were elves in the beds, and not simply pillows. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Walking over to the beds, he drew out a bag of spiders and a sack of snakes. Jumping onto the nearby dresser, Legolas rigged the sack of snakes over Elladan's bed, and the bag of spiders over Elrohir's bed so that they would open when the twins' got out of bed.

Inside the closet, Elladan and Elrohir snickered to themselves as they watched Legolas working. Their plan would be well worth their bribes. They had bribed Arwen with promises of both their desserts for five months, sword fighting lessons, and a trip to their special, secret waterfall. Nadalle, on the other hand, had only needed a little encouragement and a kiss on the cheek from a blushing Elrohir. Nadalle and Arwen were the ones pretending to sleep in the beds, not the twins.

Finally, Legolas finished with his prank. Carefully making his way around the trigger wires, he prepared to exit the room.

"Now!" Elrohir whispered to Elladan. Elladan nodded, giggling silently, but gleefully, as he tugged on a series of strings.

Screens hiding lighted candles lifted from their places, bathing the room in light, and momentarily blinding Legolas. Before he could make his escape, a bucket of honey-glue rained down on him. This was followed by a dusting of flour, a shower of flower petals, and a coating of glitter.

Legolas ground his teeth in frustration. Suddenly, a panel concealing a mirror slid to the side, allowing Legolas to get a glimpse of himself. When he saw his reflection, he moaned in embarrassment.

Nadalle and Arwen sat up in the beds to see Legolas. They broke into peals of laughter when they saw his sorry, but glittery, state.

"There's just _one_ more thing you need, Legolas." Arwen smirked, hopping out of bed before Nadalle or the twins could warn her. Just as her foot touched the trip wire, the sack of snakes opened, dumping three snakes on her head.

Instead of screaming, as Legolas had hoped, Arwen merely squealed in delight and promptly named each snake.

"This one is Glorfindel." she stated, pointing at the yellow-headed snake. "This one is Erestor." she smiled, patting the red and black snake. "And this is _Ada_." she giggled, winding the orange snake around her right hand. "I'm going to adopt them as my pets!"

Legolas rolled his eyes, trying to suppress a snort of laughter. The twins' latest prank had left Lord Elrond's hair a bright orange, making Arwen's name more hilarious.

Before Nadalle got out of the other bed, Elrohir chivalrously dismantled the trigger mechanisms and disposed of the spiders by dumping them unceremoniously out the window.

Elladan graciously held the door for a very sticky Legolas. Legolas smiled grudgingly, and trudged down the hall to his chambers.

On the way, he bumped into a very tired elf suffering from insomnia. Looking up, Legolas realized that it was Lord Elrond.

"Legolas, what are you doing out of bed?" Elrond asked tiredly. Suddenly, he leaned closer to the elfling to get a better look at him. "And why are you sticky, covered in flour, flower petals, and glitter?"

"Guess." smirked Erestor, popping his head out from his room where he had been eavesdropping. He had also been suffering from insomnia. The twins probably had something to do with that...

Elrond glared at him. "I don't suppose my sons had anything to do with this." he asked Legolas.

"And your daughter. And another _elleth_." Legolas grumbled.

"That would be Nadalle." Elrond sighed. He rubbed his temples. Now was the time to brew himself a calming pot of tea and go to bed...

Elrond turned back to Legolas. "Go back to your chambers. Bathe, put on clean clothes, and go to bed. I will speak to you, my children, and Nadalle tomorrow. But right now, just go to bed." He waved Legolas away tiredly.

Legolas sloshed down the hallway, leaving a trail of goop behind. Once he reached his room, he began bathing, but almost fell asleep in the middle of it. Today had been a long day, but tomorrow... He yawned. Tomorrow would be time enough for revenge.

With that, Legolas fell asleep in the tub.

* * *

><p>Translation of Elvish words:<p>

_Elleth_- female elf

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Hooray! Another completed chapter! Hope you enjoyed this one.<strong>

**Thanks for all your wonderful reviews! I really appreciate them. **

**~Kate**


	4. Legolas Strikes Back

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, other than a couple elves in my stories.**

**Note: I forgot one detail in my last chapter. When Legolas snuck into the twins' room and saw two elfling-shaped lumps topped with dark hair (Nadalle and Arwen), I forgot that their hair had been dyed in the chapter before that. An explanation is that Legolas' dye was not as permanent as the twins' dye, allowing the dye to be washed out after a while. **

* * *

><p>Legolas sulked for three days straight after his last failed prank. Not only had his prank failed, but he had also been humiliated in front of the twins, Nadalle, Arwen, Lord Elrond, Erestor, and quite a few other elves. To make matters worse, Lord Elrond had acted like it had been <em>his<em> fault, and not the twins.

As he sat pouting on his bed, he heard a knock on his door.

"Who is it?" he mumbled.

Glorfindel opened the door. "Just me."

Legolas scowled slightly.

"Your _ada_ is returning to Imladris early, Legolas. He will be here in a week." Glorfindel stated.

Legolas' face brightened immediately. "Really? That's great!"

"Good." Glorfindel responded. "I apologize for the twins' actions. They're... usually like that. I've been the victim of several of their pranks before."

Legolas managed a small grin.

"Anyway," Glorfindel continued after an awkward silence, "Lord Elrond sent me to tell you the news."

"Thank you." Legolas replied.

Glorfindel smiled and shut the door.

After Glorfindel left, Legolas continued sulking on his bed. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"The prank has to be simple and easy, yet bad enough to get _them_ in trouble." he mumbled. A devious grin appeared on his face. "I've got it."

Once he decided on a prank, Legolas swung onto the tree outside his window and climbed down into the garden. As he walked through the gardens, he hid behind bushes and trees whenever he saw another elf approaching.

Finally, he reached his destination. Legolas breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the twins would be training until sundown, so they wouldn't see where he was in the woods, or what he was doing. If any other elf asked, he would simply say that he wanted to be with some _trees_. As a wood elf, Legolas would most likely get away with the lie.

"Now, all I need are some spiders, various insects, special herbs, and a skunk or two." Legolas muttered to himself. "Oh, and maybe a frog or toad."

Legolas wandered through the woods for a while, searching for what he wanted. He walked further and further into the woods. Finally, Legolas had collected everything he needed except for a skunk (or two).

"Alright. Now, what did _ada_ do to lure a skunk into his bag?" Legolas scratched his head, trying to remember what Thranduil had taught him. "Oh right, crush the _athelas_ leaves together with the _ledmii_ twigs and _pleincr_ berries. Then, put them in the bag, and wait.

Legolas followed the instructions perfectly. Then he began to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

After half an hour of waiting, a skunk finally walked into the bag, ate the mixture, and fell asleep.

"Finally." Legolas sighed. He decided to wait ten more minutes. Three more skunks sauntered into the bag.

Legolas smiled. Sealing up the skunk bag, he quickly collected the rest of his boxes and bags and set off for Imladris.

There was only one problem.

He was lost.

Legolas almost screamed with frustration. Then, he remembered another helpful tip Thranduil had given him.

"If you are ever lost in the woods, hug a tree." Thranduil's voice echoed through Legolas' head.

Legolas promptly went over to the nearest tree and hugged it.

_"Yes?"_ the tree answered, sounding slightly embarrassed.

_"I'm lost."_ Legolas replied. _"Can you help me get back to Imladris?"_

_"The Last Homely House?"_ the tree asked.

"_Yes._"

The tree was silent for a moment. Legolas looked expectantly at it for a while.

"_Please don't stare at me, elfling. It makes me nervous."_ the tree complained.

"_Sorry."_

After an awkward silence, the tree finally gave him directions.

_"Turn north and walk straight until you reach a lake. Then, turn slightly northeast and continue walking until you see a tree in the shape of a triangle. Go through the triangle, just for fun, and turn south. The Last Homely House is not far from the triangle tree."_

_"Thank you!" _Legolas smiled.

"_You're welcome." _

It was almost dinner when Legolas snuck back into his room. He chuckled as he did some quick calculations in his head to make sure that the skunk would not wake up too soon. After reassuring himself, he changed, washed his face and hands, and joined the other elves for dinner.

During dinner, Legolas apologized for being rude to the twins and for trying to prank them. The twins accepted his apology. Legolas also dropped a couple hints about gifts he was going to give them to make up for his actions.

" 'Ro, do you think he means it?" Elladan whispered to his brother when Legolas wasn't looking.

Elrohir shrugged. "I don't know."

Elladan sighed. "Well, we'll just have to find out then, won't we?"

Elrohir nodded and took another bite of pie.

Legolas apologized to the girls as well. Nadalle grinned and waved his apology away, while Arwen demanded his untouched dessert in return.

"But I like apple pie!" Legolas protested. "Look, I have something for you later."

"OK." Arwen contented herself with her own piece of pie.

After dinner, Legolas excused himself and rushed to his room. He began preparing his prank.

First, he placed the spiders in a bag that would open easily.

Second, he put the five frogs in a box labeled, "GONDORIAN CHOCOLATE", and the ten toads in a box labeled, "LUSCIOUS LOLLIPOPS".

Third, he took one skunk out of his bag, then put it back. He decided that he didn't want to touch them _just yet._

With everything completed, Legolas had only to wait until dark to carry out his plans. He amused himself with a book for several hours.

Finally, darkness fell over the valley. After a while, Legolas could no longer hear voices or footsteps in the hall. Smirking, he set his plan in action.

Sneaking out his window once again, Legolas crept around the Last Homely House, depositing his "presents" at the recipient's door.

"I can't wait to hear them scream!" Legolas chuckled to himself. He had given up on the idea to blame the twins.

"Now, for the lords Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor, and..." Legolas paused. Earlier, he had caught four skunks, but he only had to prank three lords. Shrugging, Legolas decided to hide the last skunk in the twins' bedroom.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

* * *

><p>Translation of Elvish Words:<p>

_Ada_: Father

_Athelas_: a plant of Middle-Earth with extraordinary healing powers. Also called kingsfoil.

Note: _ledmii_ and _pleincr_ are my inventions. They are not (to my knowledge) from Middle-Earth.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for all the reviews.<strong>

**Heads up: I may be going on a temporary indefinite hiatus soon. Don't worry though, I hope to come back after a couple months! It's just that I need a small break from fanfiction. **

**~Kate**


	5. Revenge is Sweet

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. (I'm also going to stop posting disclaimers on these chapters... I think you get the point!)**

* * *

><p>Elladan giggled as he raced his brother back to their bedroom.<p>

"I'm winning, 'Ro!" he shouted playfully.

Elrohir stuck his tongue out slightly as he tried to catch up. Elladan put on an extra burst of speed and slapped their bedroom door.

"I won!" he declared triumphantly. Suddenly, the door opened. Legolas stepped out the door and saw the twins.

"Legolas?" Elrohir asked, his forehead crinkling in confusion.

Legolas' eyes looked slightly panicked, but then he recovered. "Yes?"

"What were you doing?" Elladan asked suspiciously.

"Looking for you." Legolas stated calmly. "I had some gifts for you and I wanted to give them to you. I thought maybe you'd be in your room, so I went ahead and checked."

Elladan and Elrohir glanced at each other.

"Where are the gifts?" they asked simultaneously.

"I hid then in your room and left clues so you could find them." Legolas smiled. "Arwen said you liked puzzles and challenges."

Surprisingly, the twins bought his excuse.

"I'm going to leave now so you can find them." Legolas laughed. "See you tomorrow! Hope you like your gifts."

The twins eagerly burst into their room. A piece of paper sat on the bed stand. Elladan grabbed it and read it aloud.

_Where you sleep and where you rise_

_Find and open your surprise_

"The bed!" Elrohir announced after thinking for a while.

"Which one?" Elladan asked.

The twins quickly searched both beds.

"Nothing." Elrohir frowned.

"Wait, I think I see something!"

Elladan dove underneath his now messy bed and drew out a blue gift box.

_To: Elladan_

_From: Legolas _it said.

"I don't get one?" Elrohir pouted.

"Check under your bed. We can share if you don't have one." Elladan offered.

Elrohir crawled under his bed and drew out a red gift box.

_To: Elrohir_

_From: Legolas _the card said.

"Let's open them together!" Elladan exclaimed.

The twins ripped open the boxes and were greeted by a wave of escaping spiders.

"Legolas!" they screamed.

After getting rid of the spiders, Elladan reached into his box and drew out another piece of paper.

"You read this time, 'Ro."

Elrohir took the paper in his fingertips and read the message.

_A dirty elf_

_Hates himself_

_Go to a place_

_The cleaning space_

"This makes no sense." Elrohir grumbled. "What does that even mean?"

"The bathroom!" Elladan declared.

"Do we really want to do this, 'Dan?" Elrohir sighed.

"Not really, but it'll be fun to find out what Legolas left for us. Then we can get him back!" Elladan chuckled.

The twins walked to the bathroom. They began searching the room. Elladan explored the closets, while Elrohir searched the tub for clues. Finally, Elrohir spotted a large yellow box sitting on the windowsill.

"There!" he pointed.

"Where?" Elladan asked, his voice muffled by the closet.

"Come out here!" Elrohir grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him out of the closet.

When Elladan saw the box, he groaned aloud.

"It's too high. Whoever built this building _obviously_ didn't think about elflings who need to grab gifts from a windowsill!" he ranted.

"Then again, who would?" Elrohir quipped.

"Still, what kind of person puts _windows_ ten feet above the ground?" Elladan continued.

"The person who built this building!" Elrohir shouted, exasperated with his brother.

"Well, if Legolas could get it up there, we can get it down here." Elladan mused. "Any ideas?"

**TT TT TT TT TT**

Arwen squealed when she saw the beautifully wrapped red gift box sitting on her bed. She quickly opened it and squealed again when she saw what was inside.

"Gondorian chocolates! My favorite!" she hugged the box to her chest. "I can't wait to eat these!"

She set the box down on her bed stand and skipped off to ask her _naneth_ if she could have some chocolates.

Skipping down the hall, Arwen passed her brothers' room. She stopped when she heard muffled arguing. Opening the door, she peeked inside.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

The twins guiltily tried to hide the tower of buckets they were building behind their backs.

"Nothing." they said, trying to sound innocent.

Arwen sighed. "You promised me all your desserts. But I still haven't gotten any yet! Or any lessons."

"We'll give you dessert tonight, Arwen." Elladan soothed her. "Now, would you please go away?"

"Not until you tell me what you're doing!" Arwen demanded, crossing her arms.

"Fine." Elrohir broke in. Elladan put a warning hand on his arm, but Elrohir brushed it away. "We're playing a game."

"What game?"

"A game."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because."

Arwen threw her hands up in frustration and stomped out the room. She continued down the hall to her parents' room.

"_Naneth!_" she said, throwing open the door.

"Yes, dear?" Celebrian answered, looking up from her paperwork.

"May I have some chocolate?" Arwen asked, her light blue eyes pleading with her mother.

"Who gave you chocolate?" Celebrian inquired, one eyebrow raised slightly in confusion.

"Legolas."

"One piece." Celebrian said firmly. Arwen pouted, but agreed.

"Thank you, _Naneth_."

Arwen returned to her room, excited about her chocolate. She burst open the door and grabbed the box. Opening the lid slowly, Arwen inhaled the box's scent. Her eyes flew open in disgust.

"What is that?" she screamed, throwing open the lid. Toads jumped out and covered her face.

"Aaah!" she shrieked, trying to throw the toads off her. "I hate you, Legolas!"

**TT TT TT TT TT**

Nadalle flopped onto her bed, worn out from a long day of work. She quickly lit a candle so she could change. Moving the candle around, the light fell on a green gift box sitting on her bed. She reached out and took the card off the box.

_To: Nadalle_

_ From: Legolas_ it read.

Nadalle tore off the wrapping paper. Once she opened the box, she found a package of "Luscious Lollipops." Warily, she pulled back the lid of the container, afraid it contained something nasty. Which it did.

A bunch of frogs leaped onto her bed, croaking madly as they hopped around her room. Each frog left behind a thick trail of goop.

"Eww!" Nadalle yelped, trying to catch and/or squish the frogs. Her mother, Vennelin, burst in the door.

"Are you alr-" she began to ask, then screamed as a frog jumped onto her head. Suddenly, it croaked and leaped into her dress! The normally calm and reserved healer started dancing wildly around the room, trying to dislodge the frog. Finally, the offending creature dropped out the bottom of her skirt.

"Well then." Vennelin stated primly, straightening her dress. "I'll call a servant to dispose of these, these, _creatures_."

"_Hannon le, Naneth_." Nadalle mumbled.

Vennelin swept haughtily out of the room. Before leaving, however, she gave Nadalle a word of advice.

"Don't open anything from Legolas ever again."

Nadalle thought that was wonderful advice.

**TT TT TT TT TT**

Glorfindel threw open his closet door and was immediately assaulted by a nauseating stench.

"What is that?" he choked.

Grabbing a nearby broom, he viciously began attacking his clothes. Unfortunately, the stench became worse. Suddenly, he spotted the skunk.

"You fiend!" he shouted. "Prepare to die!"

Glorfindel prepared to attack the skunk, shouting curses and threats at it. Just before he struck it again, the skunk lifted its tail and sprayed Glorfindel in the face.

The blond-haired warrior screamed as his eyes burned and his mouth filled with a horrible taste.

Erestor raced into Glorfindel's room.

"Are you-" he stopped when he saw his friend's deplorable state.

Glorfindel's eyes cleared enough to see Erestor standing in front of him. Erestor's clothes were tattered, his eyes bloodshot, and his face scratched.

"What happened?" Glorfindel asked.

"Guess." Erestor sighed.

"You were hit too." Glorfindel stated. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Who do you think is responsible?"

"I have no idea." Erestor said sarcastically.

"Neither do I." Glorfindel mused. "Neither do I."

Erestor sighed.

**TT TT TT TT TT**

Elrond breathed a sigh of relief as he settled into a plush velvet armchair. All his paperwork was done for the day. Now, to go relax. His eyes slowly fluttered shut until...

"What is that smell?" he sniffed the air inquisitively.

Sighing, Elrond settled back into his chair for a nap.

_Hiss_

_Hiss_

_Hiss_

"Is that what I think it is?" Elrond massaged his forehead. His sons were _so_ in trouble.

Elrond called for a servant.

"Yes, _hir-nin_?" the servant asked.

"Kindly rid my study from the skunk hiding in it." Elrond demanded.

The servant sighed and complied. Unfortunately, the skunk waddled around the room, refusing to be caught. Elrond jumped into the fight and was rewarded with a squirt of skunk spray in his face.

To make matters worse, the skunk ripped apart his fourth-best robe.

Elrond gritted his teeth in frustration. He could have sworn he saw the creature smiling at him.

"I think it smiled at you, _hir-nin_." the servant remarked, trying to hold back a laugh.

"You are dismissed." Elrond growled. The servant quickly exited the room.

Elrond sighed.

**TT TT TT TT TT**

"I got it, 'Ro!" Elladan crowed happily, holding up the yellow gift box triumphantly.

"Open it, open it!" Elrohir clapped his hands in excitement.

The twins tore open the box, forgetting their previous mishap.

The black skunk inside instantly lifted its tail and sprayed them in the face.

"This is why we will never accept anything from Legolas again." Elladan stated, wiping spray out of his eyes.

"Maybe that's why he was kind enough to put the present in the bathroom." Elrohir observed.

"You have a point." Elladan mused. "Legolas is SO dead."

* * *

><p>Translation of Elvish Words:<p>

_Naneth_: Mother

_Hannon le:_ Thank you

_Hir-nin_: My lord

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter!<strong>

**~Kate**


End file.
